Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to grinders, mills or shredders used to convert a material from an unprocessed state to a processed state having a reduced particle size and use of such mills for processing carpet to remove the carpet fibers from the backing, plastic bottles from the labels and the like.
Description of the Related Art
Interest in recycling of carpet, plastic bottles and other composite manufactures to limit the amount of materials going into landfills is growing, but existing processes are unsatisfactory. For the recycled material to be useable, the composite must be broken down into its components. In one currently utilized process, shears are used to cut the fibers from the backing. This process typically recovers less than fifty percent of the carpet fibers, leaving a considerable quantity of fibers un-reclaimed and the remaining backing and fibers must still be disposed. There remains a need for equipment and a process for recycling carpet and other composite goods including rigid and non-rigid materials which results in the efficient and relatively thorough separation of the rigid from the non-rigid material.